The Keith Companies Announces Contract Awards from City of Fenton, Michigan

The Fenton City Council has awarded two contracts to the Ayres, Lewis, Norris & May (ALNM) office of The Keith Companies, Inc., an engineering and consulting services firm. Following the award of $8.8 million in construction contracts for water system improvements and a new water softening plant to unrelated firms, the City retained ALNM, Ann Arbor, Mich., to provide various support services associated with these projects.

Designed by ALNM, the new water softening plant will be the first of its kind built in the State of Michigan under the new, tighter rules for arsenic developed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and adopted by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ). The Fenton plant also will be the first plant in the State of Michigan to utilize a unique two-stage claricone water treatment system.

ALNM designed the plant and assisted the City of Fenton in acquiring permits from the MDEQ, Genesee County and other agencies before construction. The Company also assisted the City in obtaining a low interest loan under the Drinking Water Revolving Loan Program (DWRF). The DWRF is a national program administered by the MDEQ for the EPA where communities are granted low interest loans for construction of needed drinking water facilities. ALNM worked closely with staff from the City of Fenton to complete the required Project Plan, acquire necessary permits, and document the need for this project to the MDEQ, which ranked the Fenton plant as the first project to be financed under the DWRF program in fiscal year 2003 at a total cost of $11,600,000. The project took more than two years in the planning and design phases.

The Fenton City Council approved this latest contract for ALNM to provide construction engineering services during construction of this facility, which is projected to begin in December, 2002, and to be completed and producing water for the community by March 2004. ALNM has provided all professional engineering services needed and will continue to do so during construction through its office located in Fenton, Michigan.

This project is critical to improving the quality of life for citizens in the City of Fenton. It has been pursued by various members of City Council and the entire City for several years. "It is great to have this plant finally become a reality to provide for the health and enjoyment of our citizens for clean, soft water and reducing the cost for every homeowner within the community by eliminating the need for a water softener," stated Mayor Sue Osborn.

Keith Companies' chairman and CEO, Aram H. Keith noted, "I see great opportunities in the water resources markets across the United States. I continue to find support for the need to provide services of the nature provided to the City of Fenton. We are excited about this opportunity with the City using the enhanced skills and operations of our ALNM office."